RefBan

Referral Banners

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Seems Legit!

There's no reason to get suspicious about any of these offers. No problems here!

27 Things That Are Totally And 100% Legit

Wait, you're saying that it only takes 12 weeks to go from that to THAT? Let's all sign up!

seems okay to me!

LOL

There's nothing like a perfectly-timed selfie. Here's to those who take them.

FAIL

"Aren't you worried you're missing out?" "When's the wedding?" And 16 other things never to say to a couple that's been dating forever.

OMG

One brave writer tried to eat 12 donuts from 12 donut shops in one morning. It nearly ended badly.

LOL

Cinco de Mayo is almost here. Here's how to celebrate it in the least regrettable way.

WIN

In uplifting teen news: This 89-year-old never got to go to her prom, so her great-grandson took her.

OMG

This can't be a coincidence: Katy Perry's been taking her fashion cues from an Archie Comics character.

!!!

Sometimes, the internet does amazing things. Like review this plastic banana slicer.

FTW

It's hard being perpetually tired. (But at least you've got the weekend to rest, right?)

LOL

And finally: What are you hiding? Are you living a lie?

This BuzzFeed email was sent to dwyld.kwu.11muchado2011@blogger.com | Unsubscribe

Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up to get BuzzFeed in your inbox

BuzzFeed, Inc. 200 Fifth Ave, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10010

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News

ScienceDaily: Strange Science News


Hardy little space travelers could colonize Mars, space station research shows that

Posted: 02 May 2014 09:02 AM PDT

In the movies, humans often fear invaders from Mars. These days, scientists are more concerned about invaders to Mars, in the form of micro-organisms from Earth. Three recent scientific papers examined the risks of interplanetary exchange of organisms using research from the International Space Station.

Using speed of video game processors to improve cancer patient care

Posted: 02 May 2014 05:12 AM PDT

The speed of video game processors are being used to promote research that is aimed at improving patient care, a new study says. In recent years, video game processors, known as graphic processing units, or GPUs, have become massively powerful as game makers support increasingly elaborate video graphics with rapid-fire processing. Now medical researchers are looking to these GPUs for inspiration. One practical application is reducing the time required to calculate the radiation dose delivered to a tumor during proton radiotherapy, for example. The faster video processors can reduce the time of the most complex calculation method from 70 hours to just 10 seconds.

New insights into bacterial substitute for sex

Posted: 01 May 2014 04:26 PM PDT

Bacteria don't have sex as such, but they can mix their genetic material by pulling in DNA from dead bacterial cells and inserting these into their own genome. New research has found that this process -- called recombination -- is more complex than was first thought. The findings could help us understand why bacteria which cause serious diseases are able to evade vaccines and rapidly become drug-resistant.

Electronic nose sniffs out prostate cancer using urine samples

Posted: 01 May 2014 01:56 PM PDT

We may soon be able to make easy and early diagnoses of prostate cancer by smell. Investigators have established that a novel noninvasive technique can detect prostate cancer using an electronic nose. In a proof of principle study, the eNose successfully discriminated between prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by "sniffing" urine headspace (the space directly above the urine sample). Results using the eNose are comparable to testing prostate specific antigen (PSA).

Crocodile tears please thirsty butterflies and bees

Posted: 01 May 2014 04:59 AM PDT

A butterfly and bee were most likely seeking scarce minerals and an extra boost of protein. On a beautiful December day in 2013, they found the precious nutrients in the tears of a spectacled caiman relaxing on the banks of the Río Puerto Viejo in northeastern Costa Rica.

Regenerative medicine approach improves muscle strength, function in leg injuries; Derived from pig bladder

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 11:30 AM PDT

Damaged leg muscles grew stronger and showed signs of regeneration in three out of five men whose old injuries were surgically implanted with extracellular matrix derived from pig bladder, according to a new study. Early findings are from a human trial of the process as well as from animal studies.

Robots may need to include parental controls

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 10:31 AM PDT

Older adults' fears that companion robots will negatively affect young people may create design challenges for developers hoping to build robots for older users, according to researchers. Companion robots provide emotional support for users and interact with them as they, for example, play a game, or watch a movie. Older adults reported in a study that while they were not likely to become physically and emotionally dependent on robots, they worried that young people might become too dependent on them.

Students devise concept for Star Wars-style deflector shields

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 06:14 AM PDT

If you have often imagined yourself piloting your X-Wing fighter on an attack run on the Death Star, you'll be reassured that University of Leicester students have demonstrated that your shields could take whatever the Imperial fleet can throw at you.

How a fish can fry: Scientists uncover evolutionary clues behind electric fish

Posted: 29 Apr 2014 03:48 PM PDT

Take a muscle cell, modify it over millions of years, and you end up with an exciting and literally shocking evolutionary result: the electric fish. The authors of a new study speculate that the down-regulation of the Scn4aa gene leads to quicker evolution and adaptation. Electric fish have evolved several times in varying levels of complexity. By emitting and sensing weak electrical signals, the fish have bypassed the usual means of communication, such as with sounds and visual signals, and go directly to electrical signals. This allows them to quietly "talk" to each other in the dark so that most predators can't eavesdrop.

New analysis of seven ant genomes reveals clues to longer life spans associated with sociality

Posted: 29 Apr 2014 03:48 PM PDT

Researchers have tried to uncover which genes could be involved in ant-specific adaptations, notably in relation to the evolution of complex social systems and division of labor. Using a combination of state-of-the-art evolutionary tools, the paper examines signatures of positive selection on a phylogeny of seven ants and compares these signatures with those detected in other insect datasets composed of 12 species of flies and 10 species of bees. This design allowed the authors to identify molecular patterns unique to ants, compared to flies and bees.

ScienceDaily: Top Science News

ScienceDaily: Top Science News


Reducing just six risk factors could prevent 37 million deaths from chronic diseases over 15 years

Posted: 02 May 2014 05:47 PM PDT

Reducing or curbing just six modifiable risk factors—tobacco use, harmful alcohol use, salt intake, high blood pressure and blood sugar, and obesity—to globally-agreed target levels could prevent more than 37 million premature deaths over 15 years, from the four main non-communicable diseases (NCDs; cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory disease, cancers, and diabetes) according to new research.

Leaf chewing links insect diversity in modern and ancient forests

Posted: 02 May 2014 02:21 PM PDT

Observations of insects and their feeding marks on leaves in modern forests confirm indications from fossil leaf deposits that the diversity of chewing damage relates directly to diversity of the insect population that created it, according to scientists.

MERS coronavirus can be transmitted from camel to humans

Posted: 02 May 2014 05:13 AM PDT

The so-called Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus was first found in June 2012 in a patient from Saudi Arabia, who suffered from severe pneumonia. Since this time, more than 300 persons have developed an infection, of whom about a third died. The fact that the Arabian camel is the origin of the infectious disease has been confirmed recently. The transmission pathways of the viruses, however, have not been clear until now.

Crocodile tears please thirsty butterflies and bees

Posted: 01 May 2014 04:59 AM PDT

A butterfly and bee were most likely seeking scarce minerals and an extra boost of protein. On a beautiful December day in 2013, they found the precious nutrients in the tears of a spectacled caiman relaxing on the banks of the Río Puerto Viejo in northeastern Costa Rica.

Competition for ecological niches limits the formation of new species

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 11:30 AM PDT

The rate at which new species evolve is limited by competition for ecological niches. The study, which analyzes the evolutionary and genetic relationships between all 461 songbird species that live in the Himalayan mountains, suggests that as ecological niches within an environment are filled, the formation of new species slows or even stops.

Regenerative medicine approach improves muscle strength, function in leg injuries; Derived from pig bladder

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 11:30 AM PDT

Damaged leg muscles grew stronger and showed signs of regeneration in three out of five men whose old injuries were surgically implanted with extracellular matrix derived from pig bladder, according to a new study. Early findings are from a human trial of the process as well as from animal studies.

Your stress is my stress: Observing stress can trigger physical stress response

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 10:31 AM PDT

Merely observing stressful situations can trigger a physical stress response, research shows. Stress is a major health threat in today's society. It causes a range of psychological problems like burnout, depression and anxiety. Even those who lead relatively relaxed lives constantly come into contact with stressed individuals. Whether at work or on television: someone is always experiencing stress, and this stress can affect the general environment in a physiologically quantifiable way through increased concentrations of the stress hormone cortisol.

The big bad wolf was right: Among wasps, bigger eyes evolved to better see social cues

Posted: 29 Apr 2014 05:58 PM PDT

Some paper wasps have variable facial patterns recognized by their sister wasps, marking either individuals or their strength, much like a karate belt. Researchers have now shown that those wasps with variable facial patterns have developed bigger facets in their compound eyes, and thus better vision, in order to read these social cues. Social communication may also drive evolution of senses in other species.

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News

ScienceDaily: Most Popular News


Jupiter's moon Ganymede may harbor 'club sandwich' of oceans and ice

Posted: 01 May 2014 11:07 AM PDT

The largest moon in our solar system, a companion to Jupiter named Ganymede, might have ice and oceans stacked up in several layers like a club sandwich, according to new NASA-funded research that models the moon's makeup.

Ground-breaking technique traces DNA direct to your ancestor's home 1,000 years ago

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 04:27 PM PDT

Tracing where your DNA was formed over 1,000 years ago is now possible, thanks to a revolutionary technique. The ground-breaking Geographic Population Structure tool works similarly to a satellite navigation system as it helps you to find your way home, but not the one you currently live in -- but rather your actual ancestor's home from 1,000 years ago.

Stem cells from teeth can make brain-like cells

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 04:25 PM PDT

Researchers have discovered that stem cells taken from teeth can grow to resemble brain cells, suggesting they could one day be used in the brain as a therapy for stroke.

Engineers grow functional human cartilage in lab

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 11:28 AM PDT

Engineers have successfully grown -- for the first time -- fully functional human cartilage in vitro from human stem cells derived from bone marrow tissue. Their study demonstrates new ways to better mimic the enormous complexity of tissue development, regeneration, and disease.

Astronomers observe corkscrew nature of light from a distant black hole

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 10:29 AM PDT

For the first time an international team of astronomers has measured circular polarization in the bright flash of light from a dying star collapsing to a black hole, giving insight into an event that happened almost 11 billion years ago.

Entire star cluster thrown out of its galaxy

Posted: 30 Apr 2014 09:11 AM PDT

The galaxy known as M87 has a fastball that would be the envy of any baseball pitcher. It has thrown an entire star cluster toward us at more than two million miles per hour. The newly discovered cluster, which astronomers named HVGC-1, is now on a fast journey to nowhere. Its fate: to drift through the void between the galaxies for all time.

Gulf War illness: New report lauds treatment research, confirms toxic causes

Posted: 28 Apr 2014 09:11 AM PDT

Progress has been made toward understanding the physiological mechanisms that underlie Gulf War illness and identifying possible treatments, says a new report on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses, a condition that affects as many as 250,000 veterans of the 1990-91 Gulf War. Gulf War illness refers to the chronic symptoms that affect veterans of that conflict at markedly elevated rates, compared to other veterans' groups and to the U.S. population as a whole. Symptoms can vary from person to person, but typically include some combination of widespread pain, headache, persistent problems with memory and thinking, fatigue, breathing problems, stomach and intestinal symptoms, and skin abnormalities.

Using a foreign language changes moral decisions

Posted: 28 Apr 2014 09:06 AM PDT

Would you sacrifice one person to save five? Such moral choices could depend on whether you are using a foreign language or your native tongue. A new study from psychologists finds that people using a foreign language take a relatively utilitarian approach to moral dilemmas, making decisions based on assessments of what's best for the common good.

The Moroccan flic-flac spider: A gymnast among the arachnids

Posted: 28 Apr 2014 04:44 AM PDT

A spider expert has described a new species: Cebrennus rechenbergi. It is the only spider that is able to move by means of flic-flac jumps. The flic-flac spider uses its legs to create a rolling motion. Like a gymnast, it propels itself off the ground, followed by a series of rapid flic-flac movements of its legs.

Climate change: Don't wait until you can feel it

Posted: 25 Apr 2014 06:36 AM PDT

Despite overwhelming scientific evidence for the impending dangers of human-made climate change, policy decisions leading to substantial emissions reduction have been slow. New research shows that even as extreme weather events influence those who experience them to support policy to address climate change, waiting for the majority of people to live through such conditions firsthand could delay meaningful action by decades.

SSRI use during pregnancy linked to autism and developmental delays in boys

Posted: 15 Apr 2014 12:37 PM PDT

In a study of nearly 1,000 mother-child pairs, researchers found that prenatal exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a frequently prescribed treatment for depression, anxiety and other disorders, was associated with autism spectrum disorder and developmental delays in boys.

ScienceDaily: Top News

ScienceDaily: Top News


Leaf chewing links insect diversity in modern and ancient forests

Posted: 02 May 2014 02:21 PM PDT

Observations of insects and their feeding marks on leaves in modern forests confirm indications from fossil leaf deposits that the diversity of chewing damage relates directly to diversity of the insect population that created it, according to scientists.

Big sisters do better: New study of siblings finds eldest girls have the edge

Posted: 02 May 2014 01:04 PM PDT

A new study has revealed that oldest children are the most ambitious, especially girls, and a wider gap between siblings increases the chances of children achieving higher levels of qualifications.

Researchers find unique fore wing folding among Sub-Saharan African Ensign wasps

Posted: 02 May 2014 12:58 PM PDT

Researchers discovered several possibly threatened new species of ensign wasps from Sub-Saharan Africa -- the first known insects to exhibit transverse folding of the fore wing. The scientists made this discovery, in part, using a technique they developed that provides broadly accessible anatomy descriptions.

Better sleep predicts longer survival time for women with advanced breast cancer

Posted: 02 May 2014 10:25 AM PDT

A new study reports that sleep efficiency, a ratio of time asleep to time spent in bed, is predictive of survival time for women with advanced breast cancer. According to the authors, this is the first study to demonstrate the long-term detrimental effects of objectively quantified sleep on survival in women with advanced cancer. Although the mechanism of the relationship between sleep quality and advanced breast cancer survival is unclear, they suggested that sleep disruption may lead to diminished immune function or impaired hormonal stress responses that are more directly responsible for the decrease in survival.

Key protein enhances memory, learning

Posted: 02 May 2014 10:24 AM PDT

A protein previously implicated in disease plays such a positive role in learning and memory that it may someday contribute to cures of cognitive impairments, researchers have discovered. The findings regarding the potential virtues of fatty acid binding protein 5 -- usually associated with cancer and psoriasis -- have been outlined in a new article.

Exploring genetics behind Alzheimer's resiliency

Posted: 02 May 2014 10:02 AM PDT

Autopsies have revealed that some individuals develop the cellular changes indicative of Alzheimer's disease without ever showing clinical symptoms in their lifetime. Additionally, memory researchers have discovered a potential genetic variant in these asymptomatic individuals that may make brains more resilient against Alzheimer's.

Study shows link between sleep apnea, hospital maternal deaths

Posted: 02 May 2014 10:02 AM PDT

Pregnant women with obstructive sleep apnea are more than five times as likely to die in the hospital as those without the sleep disorder, a comprehensive American national study found. Among delivery-related hospital discharges, sleep apnea was also associated with an increase in severe medical conditions that are top causes of maternal death, including preeclampsia, eclampsia, an enlarged heart and pulmonary blood clots, reported the study.

Out of shape? Your memory may suffer

Posted: 02 May 2014 10:02 AM PDT

Here's another reason to drop that doughnut and hit the treadmill: A new study suggests aerobic fitness affects long-term memory. "The findings show that lower-fit individuals lose more memory across time," said a co-author. The study is one of the first to investigate young, supposedly healthy adults. Previous research on fitness and memory has focused largely on children, whose brains are still developing, and the elderly, whose memories are declining.

A transcription factor called SLUG helps determines type of breast cancer

Posted: 02 May 2014 10:01 AM PDT

A new study determines that the transcription factor SLUG plays a role in regulating stem cell function. In mice without SLUG, basal cells are reprogrammed into a luminal-cell fate, luminal cells hyper-proliferate, and stem-cell function necessary for tissue regeneration and tumor initiation is inhibited.

Hardy little space travelers could colonize Mars, space station research shows that

Posted: 02 May 2014 09:02 AM PDT

In the movies, humans often fear invaders from Mars. These days, scientists are more concerned about invaders to Mars, in the form of micro-organisms from Earth. Three recent scientific papers examined the risks of interplanetary exchange of organisms using research from the International Space Station.

30-year puzzle in breast cancer solved

Posted: 02 May 2014 07:25 AM PDT

Mice lacking one copy of a gene called CTCF have abnormal DNA methylation and are markedly predisposed to cancer, new research demonstrates. CTCF is a very well-studied DNA binding protein that exerts a major influence on the architecture of the human genome, but had not been previously linked to cancer. Over 30 years ago, frequent loss of one copy of chromosome 16 was first reported in breast cancer but the gene or genes responsible remained to be identified. This new research answers that 30-year long puzzle.

Small variations in genetic code can team up to have big impact

Posted: 02 May 2014 07:25 AM PDT

Large sets of variations in the genetic code that do not individually appear to have much effect can collectively produce significant changes in an organism's physical characteristics, scientists have definitively demonstrated. Studying the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, researchers found that the effects of these genetic variants can depend on four or more other variants in an individual's genome.

Sharp decline in maternal, child deaths globally, new data show

Posted: 02 May 2014 07:25 AM PDT

Since the start of an international effort to address maternal and child mortality, millions of lives have been saved globally, a new study shows. Forty-five countries, including 27 in the developing world, are on track to meet the MDG 4 target of reducing child death rates by two-thirds of 1990 levels by 2015, while only 16 countries -- most in Central and Eastern Europe -- are likely to achieve the MDG 5 target of a 75% reduction in their 1990 maternal death rate by 2015.

Elevated liver enzyme levels linked to higher gestational diabetes risk

Posted: 02 May 2014 07:24 AM PDT

Women with high levels of a common liver enzyme measured prior to pregnancy were twice as likely to subsequently develop gestational diabetes than those with the lowest levels, according to a study. The liver plays an important role in regulating glucose levels in the body. The liver enzyme, called gamma-glutamyl transferase (known as GGT), is a common marker of liver function and has also been associated with insulin resistance, which can be a precursor to gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes.

How bacteria exploit proteins to trigger potentially lethal infections

Posted: 02 May 2014 07:24 AM PDT

The way bacteria exploits human proteins during infections has recently become better understood, thanks to new research. Scientists studied how Staphylococcus aureus, which can cause life-threatening human infections, attach to two proteins fibronectin and fibrinogen found in human blood. The human proteins play important roles in clot formation and wound healing and the bacteria appear to exploit them during the process of infection.

UK has one of the highest death rates for children in western Europe

Posted: 02 May 2014 05:14 AM PDT

The UK has one of the highest rates of death for children under five in western Europe, according to new research. Although, by international standards, the UK has very low rates of deaths in children, the figures show that within western Europe, the UK has a higher rate of deaths in children than nearly every other country in the region. The mortality rate in the UK for children under five is 4.9 deaths per 1000 births, more than double that in Iceland (2.4 per 1000 births), the country with the lowest mortality rates. 3800 children under five died in the UK in 2013, the highest absolute number of deaths in the region.

Approaching the island of stability: Observation of the superheavy element 117

Posted: 02 May 2014 05:13 AM PDT

The periodic table of the elements is to get crowded towards its heaviest members. Evidence for the artificial creation of element 117 has recently been obtained at an accelerator laboratory located in Germany.

MERS coronavirus can be transmitted from camel to humans

Posted: 02 May 2014 05:13 AM PDT

The so-called Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus was first found in June 2012 in a patient from Saudi Arabia, who suffered from severe pneumonia. Since this time, more than 300 persons have developed an infection, of whom about a third died. The fact that the Arabian camel is the origin of the infectious disease has been confirmed recently. The transmission pathways of the viruses, however, have not been clear until now.

New atom-scale knowledge on the function of biological photosensors

Posted: 02 May 2014 05:13 AM PDT

The research groups have clarified how the atom structure of bacterial red light photosensors changes when sensing light. The research reveals structural changes in phytochrome protein when illuminated. The function of few biological photosensors are already utilised in other fields of science, especially in neurosciences.

Using speed of video game processors to improve cancer patient care

Posted: 02 May 2014 05:12 AM PDT

The speed of video game processors are being used to promote research that is aimed at improving patient care, a new study says. In recent years, video game processors, known as graphic processing units, or GPUs, have become massively powerful as game makers support increasingly elaborate video graphics with rapid-fire processing. Now medical researchers are looking to these GPUs for inspiration. One practical application is reducing the time required to calculate the radiation dose delivered to a tumor during proton radiotherapy, for example. The faster video processors can reduce the time of the most complex calculation method from 70 hours to just 10 seconds.

Atypical form of Alzheimer's disease may be present in more widespread number of patients than thought

Posted: 01 May 2014 04:28 PM PDT

A subtype of Alzheimer's disease has been identified by neuroscientists that they say is neither well recognized nor treated appropriately. The variant, called hippocampal sparing AD, made up 11 percent of the 1,821 AD-confirmed brains examined by researchers -- suggesting this subtype is relatively widespread in the general population. It is estimated that 5.2 million Americans are living with AD. And with nearly half of hippocampal sparing AD patients being misdiagnosed, this could mean that well over 600,000 Americans make up this AD variant, researchers say.

U.S. newspaper reporting of suicide linked with some teenage suicide clusters

Posted: 01 May 2014 04:26 PM PDT

Heightened newspaper coverage after a suicide might have a significant impact on the initiation of some teenage suicide clusters, according to new research. The study reveals that the content of media reports is also important, with more prominent stories (ie, published on the front page) and those that describe the suicide in considerable detail more likely to be associated with so-called copycat suicides.

Electronic nose sniffs out prostate cancer using urine samples

Posted: 01 May 2014 01:56 PM PDT

We may soon be able to make easy and early diagnoses of prostate cancer by smell. Investigators have established that a novel noninvasive technique can detect prostate cancer using an electronic nose. In a proof of principle study, the eNose successfully discriminated between prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by "sniffing" urine headspace (the space directly above the urine sample). Results using the eNose are comparable to testing prostate specific antigen (PSA).

Statin use associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer recurrence

Posted: 01 May 2014 01:56 PM PDT

Men who begin taking statins after prostate cancer surgery are less likely to have a recurrence of their cancer, according to a retrospective analysis. "Our findings suggest that beginning statins after surgery may reduce the risk of prostate cancer recurrence, so it's not too late to start statins after a diagnosis," said the lead author.

New syndrome caused by mutations in AHDC1

Posted: 01 May 2014 09:34 AM PDT

The gene underlying a newly recognized genetic syndrome that has symptoms of sleep apnea, delayed speech and hyptonia, or generalized upper body weakness, has been discovered by researchers. "Little is known about this gene and the discovery of its link to this syndrome is an important advance towards analyzing its function," said a corresponding author. "This study illustrates a remarkable confluence of advanced technical development, data sharing and detailed clinical studies."